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Uzbekistan plans to increase hydrocarbon production by 2020

Uzbekistan intends to increase the production of liquid hydrocarbon and natural gas to 3.5 million tonnes and 66 billion cubic meters, respectively, by 2020, Shokir Faizullaev, the chairman of the Board of Uzbekneftegaz national holding company said.

He made the remarks at the international oil and gas conference on May 14.

Faizullaev added that this plan is envisaged by the country's program for development of oil and gas industry for the period of 2013-2020.

The annual gas export will increase by 20 percent by 2020, as a result of the energy and gas saving in the country, according to the program. Up to seven percent decrease is expected in the annual natural gas consumption by the country's economic sectors by 2020, compared to 2013.

Nevertheless, the natural gas consumption by the population will remain at the level of 2013.

Moreover, the program for development of the oil and gas industry expects an increase in the volume of following reserves by 2020: equivalent fuel - 622.8 million tonnes, natural gas - 485.5 billion cubic meters, and liquid hydrocarbons - 41.7 million tonnes.

No data has been provided about the hydrocarbon production in Uzbekistan in 2013. The country produced around 3.165 million tonnes of liquid hydrocarbons (oil, including gas condensate) and 62.911 billion cubic meters of gas, according to the official statistical data.

Thus, the liquid hydrocarbon production is expected to increase by 10 percent, gas production - by five percent by 2020.

Faizullayev also reported that the total volume of natural gas export amounted to about 13 billion cubic meters in 2013. The official data on the gas export in Uzbekistan are not published.

The program also envisages an increase in production of oil products by more than 1.3 times by 2020, as well as through local oil and condensate processing, use of shale oil, import of raw materials and use of additional domestic sources compared to 2013.

Recoverable proven hydrocarbon reserves amounted to more than 2.5 billion tons of fuel equivalent, of which about 65 percent fall to natural gas reserves in Uzbekistan as of January 1, 2014.